Delectable Musings

Refried Beans: The Harmony

2012-03-03T11:21:00.002-08:00

Refried beans

Really good refried beans make even the most quiet eater go "MMmmmm". There is something about the creamy richness of the beans that is very satisfying despite usually playing the role of a side dish. I don't know about you but I am always looking to put a dab on my fork with whatever else I am eating otherwise that mouthful just does not taste as good as it should.

I have made refried beans with canned beans and it turns out good. But. Nothing beats making them with dried beans that you cook first then mash. Something about the flavor and consistency is just different with refried beans that start from dried first. That doesn't mean that you can't use canned beans in a pinch, I just prefer dried. Give it a try if you haven't before.

1957 lard advertisement by the British Lard Marketing Board, funny

Traditional refried beans are made with lard. For a long time this stuff had a very bad reputation but lately it is starting to make a comeback. As a joke my husband bought a brick of lard back over the Christmas holiday season and it has been sitting in my fridge ever since. I will see that blue box stuffed in the refrigerator door slot hidden behind the mustard and think, "I have to use that stuff somehow just to show him." So I did. And I confess, it made these refried beans really really tasty. But let's just keep that part of the story between us, please. You can also use bacon fat, drippings from chorizo, olive oil, coconut oil, or whatever you prefer. Whatever your choice these will be great and the taste will beat out the canned version every time.

Refried Beans

By Michelle K.

You can make your beans on the stove top or in the pressure cooker. Which ever method you use you do not need to soak your beans before cooking. Because I am usually pressed for time I end up using the pressure cooker most often. Canned beans work too so that is also an option.

Ingredients

1 lb Pinto beans
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs lard (or fat of your choice)
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic clove, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup water

Instructions

For pressure cooked beans: wash and sort your beans then add them to your pressure cooker. Cover the beans with at least 3 quarts of water. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of Mexican oregano (or regular) and close up your pot. Bring to high pressure and then set your timer to 30 minutes. Use the natural release method to cool your pot down enough to safely open your lid. The time it takes to cook your beans can vary quite a bit depending on what size they are (there are several varieties of Pinto beans), your elevation and how fresh they are. Pressure cooking is very forgiving - if you did not cook the beans long enough you can adjust your water as needed, seal the pot up and put the beans back on the flame. Cook for an additional 15 minutes and check again, repeating as necessary. Since these are for refried beans you are looking for a very well cooked bean that is tender and completely cooked through. Always use the natural release method to let the pressure come down enough to allow you to open the lid safely.
For stove top cooked beans: wash and sort your beans then add them to your large pot. Cover the beans with at least 3 inches of water. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of Mexican oregano (or regular) and bring to a boil. Lower the heat immediately to simmer and cook, covered, for 2 - 3 hours. Check the beans occasionally and adjust the water if needed, maintaining about 1-2 inches of water over the top of the beans. The cooking time will vary depending on what size your beans are, your elevation and how fresh they are. They are done when they are very tender and cooked through completely.
Drain the beans once they are cooked and set aside. Add the lard (or other fat of your choice) to a pre-heated large skillet. Add the onion and salt and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add your garlic and cumin and sauté another minute, just long enough to bring out the fragrance.
Add the beans and the 1/4 cup water to your skillet then grab your potato masher. Mash the beans in the skillet until they are smooth but still have larger bits of bean in the puree. Add more water as needed to reach the consistency that you like.
Adjust the salt to your taste. Serve warm with a sprinkle of cheese, or as is, for an amazing side dish.

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 00:10
Cook time: 00:45

Nutrition

Calories: 71

Total carbs: 9

Lemon and Parsley Wheat Flatbread: Celebrating

2012-03-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

Lemon and parsley wheat flatbread

Finally it is March. I could use a new month, a new day, a fresh start that is pointed towards spring. One of the many things that makes me think of spring are what my kids call picnic meals. These picnics can take place on our deck outside if the sun is peeking out or on the living room floor, it really doesn't matter. It is a chance to eat everything just with your fingers and often includes fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, hummus and flatbreads.

Flatbread dough measured into pieces and being rolled out

These rustic and hand shaped flatbreads are quick to make and keep well. They are the perfect vehicle for dipping or just eating plain. They can be rolled up with a miniature salad of sprouts, avocado, tomato and cucumber with a drizzle of balsamic dressing and eaten soft taco style. The subtle lemon flavor hints at spring and is just what I need today.

This has been submitted to YeastSpotting.

Lemon and Parsley Wheat Flatbread

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp yeast
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
zest from one lemon
1 Tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 - 3 1/4 cups white bread flour

Instructions

Combine your warm water, yeast and sugar and let the yeast proof. It will turn foamy when it is ready, in about 5 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and combine until you have a smooth dough using your stand mixer or by hand. Once it is smooth, knead for an additional 5 minutes.
Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Leave the bowl sitting at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat your griddle over a medium-high flame. You will be cooking your flatbread on a dry griddle and you want it to be hot and ready to go before you begin rolling out your divided dough.
Divide your dough into 12 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface roll one or two pieces out into a rough circle about 5-6 inches. Remove any excess flour from the completed round. I work in batches of two - roll out 2 circles, pop them on my hot griddle, roll out 2 more and have them ready and waiting. Just roll out as many as will fit on your griddle and leave the rest to wait their turn.
Cook your dough on the dry griddle, turning it once it starts to brown. Put completed flatbreads into a waiting tea towel.
Serve warm or fully cooled, these are tasty either way.

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 00:20
Cook time: 00:05

Nutrition

Calories: 206

Total carbs: 34

Plum Spice Muffins: Take THAT Girl Scout Cookies

2012-02-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

Plum spice muffins

Peter came home with TEN ... TEN boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. Six of those boxes are already gone. We did give away two boxes, but still. That is a stunning amount of sugar consumption in two days for six people to have accomplished. I knew that even though I just recently baked one quick bread, if I was going to have a healthy snack on hand for this first week back to school, it better be a very full flavored one or those last four boxes of cookies would be gone in a day and my children would be wall-bouncing-loud-voice-using messes. Ugh.

My solution? A very low fat, low calorie but BIG flavored individual sized muffins with some kid friendly POW. That and some clever naming. My kids are positive they hate prunes, but somehow they love plums! Fresh ones, dried ones, all plums are excellent. Taking a hint from the prune industry, I named mine plum spice muffins so that the you-know-what word does not enter the picture.

I feel ready to face the week and provide my kids with a tasty treat that only I need to know has 2.5g of fat and 136 calories. I accomplished some of this by using my apple butter in place of the oil in the recipe and adding just a tiny bit more spices. The dark apple butter is what gives these muffins their deep color. If you don't have apple butter on hand I would use applesauce and up the spices to 1/2 teaspoon and it will work for you great.

Plum Spice Muffins

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

If you do not have apple butter, use applesauce instead and increase the cinnamon and mace (or nutmeg) to 1/2 teaspoon.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground mace
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup apple butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely diced prunes
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 (F). Grease 24 muffin tins well.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and mace. Set this aside.
In a smaller mixing bowl or oversized measuring cup whisk together the buttermilk, apple butter (or applesauce), eggs and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and give the batter ONLY 5 quick mixes.
While there is still obvious flour spots showing, drop in the bits of prunes making sure you scatter them well. Take a little bit of time with this step so that you do not end up with muffins with no bites of plum in them, and other muffins with huge chunks. Toss in the pecans. Mix everything together with just a minimal amount of quick stirs. You will still have some lumps and that is just fine.
Evenly distribute the muffin batter into 24 muffin tins. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, making sure you start checking on things around 18 minutes in.
Move the muffins in their tin to a wire rack and let them cool for 5 minutes. Using a butter knife gently loosen each muffin and place on a wire rack to finish cooling. You don't want to let the muffins cool in the tins - due to the low fat content, they can tend to stick badly once cooled.
Serve with a big glass of milk and enjoy!

Yield: 24 muffins

Prep Time: 00:20
Cook time: 00:25

Nutrition

Calories: 136

Total carbs: 26

This has been shared with Real Food Wednesdays.

Orange and Pine Nut Zucchini Bread: Spring Cleaning

2012-02-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

The palest shade of green with flecks of orange, really delicious

I am starting to get antsy about making room for this coming spring/summer/fall projects. One of the first steps I do is take a mental inventory of what I still have on hand from last year so that I can start rotating it into our menu and get it eaten up. I was snooping through the big freezer and I found half a dozen mystery bags. It took me a while to sort out that it was shredded zucchini that my husband had put up when last year's crop of zucchinis were growing faster than we could keep up. Definitely time to get it all used in some creative ways.

Zucchini bread is not all that creative, I know, but it was a good fit into a busy Saturday schedule that was already packed with kid priorities and preparations for returning to school on Monday. I am not quite sure how it happens but when we are on break from school and we stay home, somehow the laundry starts breeding out of control and the dishes pile very high. So. While taming those beasts and working on homework we had put off until the very last moment I put together this quick bread. I think that the orange and pine nuts worked together in a slightly savory kind of harmony. The pot cheese is the ingredient that I am using to provide the fat you normally would see - if you don't have any on hand, make some! Or just substitute ricotta, cottage cheese or even cold butter and it will work out just fine.

Orange and Pine Nut Zucchini Bread

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
1 tsp orange zest
/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 cup pot cheese
1 egg
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1/4 cup pine nuts

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 (F). Grease one loaf pan well.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and orange zest together well and set aside.
In a smaller bowl, or oversized measuring cup, combine the orange juice, yogurt, pot cheese (or ricotta or cottage cheese) and egg, beating well.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, mixing until just barely combined. There will still be some lumps - you just want this to be barely mixed together.
Fold in the zucchini and pine nuts. Pour your batter into your waiting loaf pan. Cook for approximately 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan.
Eat plain or toasted with butter or cream cheese. Good stuff.

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 00:15
Cook time: 01:10

Nutrition

Calories: 167

Total carbs: 29

Slider Buns: Miniature Burger's Perfect Companion

2012-02-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Tasty and the seeds stay on!

These are just plain cool. I realize as a Mom my judgement of what is, or is not, cool is not always on the mark with my kids. But these I know I am labeling right - they all think they are cool, so I feel safe announcing that loudly. In my continued pursuit of trying to find old family favorites that I can present in small packages so my youngest will start to find his appetite again I remembered these little gems.

Just the right crumb for a bun

Making your own hamburger or slider buns may seem like that one step too far, but honestly it elevates an everyday meal to something really special. The buns taste far better than what you can get at your local supermarket, and as you can see the color is still a lovely golden yellow and the texture is what you expect from a hamburger bun. You can top yours with just butter, or a sprinkle of seeds of any sort, or a bit of dried onion. There are just as many options for fillings too - nobody says you have to have a burger patty to have fun with these buns.

Small sized with BIG flavor

Although I was specifically looking for small sized food, this recipe can be used for either sliders or full sized burgers. I really recommend a scale for measuring out your dough in order to keep the sizes and cooking times even. Let me know your favorite filling for these mini-buns.

This has been submitted to YeastSpotting.

Slider Buns

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

Use your scale to divide your dough. 2 oz. pieces for slider buns, 4 oz. pieces for full sized buns.

Ingredients

1 cup milk, warm
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs yeast
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Mix all of your ingredients together and once combined, knead for five minutes. This can be done by hand or in your stand mixer.
In a lightly oiled bowl place the dough and let it rise to twice its size, usually about an hour.
Deflate the dough and using a scale divide it into 16 pieces for sliders or 8 pieces for regular buns. This will be 2 oz. or 4 oz. per piece, approximately. Flatten each bit of dough into a disc that it is about 3 times wider than it is thick. Place them on a single greased baking sheet spread apart enough to keep them from touching after a second rise.
Cover and let the buns rise a second time for about an hour. You are looking for them to be very fluffy.
Pre-heat your oven to 375 (F). Brush the buns with egg wash (1 egg, 1 tablespoon water whisked together) and then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 13-15 minutes until they are a deep golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack so that they do not get soggy. Slice and fill with your favorite burger type items and enjoy!

Yield: 16 small buns or 8 full sized

Prep Time: 00:25
Cook time: 00:15

Nutrition

Calories: 139

Total carbs: 25

Worms: The Urban Farm Handbook February Challenge

2012-02-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

Moving in day!

You may have noticed the badge on my site here for The Urban Farm Handbook Challenge. Each month there will be a different set of tasks that deal with many distinct topics that will help us learn all about urban farming. I think what I find so approachable about all of the goals of this handbook challenge year is that anyone, truly anyone, can do them. From apartment dwellers to plantation sized spreads, each month provides a way for everyone to participate.

The challenge for February was all about soil building and had many great tasks that we were invited to do. I was excited to see things like how to properly compost (it is harder than you would think), how to mix your own organic fertilizers or resources on where to buy it in bulk, and the value of worm bins.

Worm bins!

Talking this over with the family that phrase was repeated over and over by the kids, and Peter, like some kind of chant.

Oooooh, worm bins!

I am sure it is not too hard to guess what we did for this month's soil building challenge.

Worm bins!

Peter found a detailed explanation for doing your own Cheap and Easy Worm Bin! (how come worm bins! always has to be said with an exclamation mark?) and realized we had on hand all the materials he needed, except the worms. He and the kids followed their instructions, drilled holes, shredded newspaper, wet it all down, squeezed out excess water and got a new home all ready to go. Then they had to wait a few days to get the actual worms because of scheduling conflicts.

Luxury worm condo in the corner of Peter's office

Finally the big day arrived. Our worms were put into their new luxury condo which now resides in Peter's office. Really. He and the kids are thrilled. I am too.

Chocolate Pudding: A Spoonful Will Do You

2012-02-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

Chocolate pudding

This smooth, creamy and very decadent dessert is awesome, even for those watching their figure. It is so rich and full of chocolaty goodness that a couple of bites will have you feeling like you have had a great treat while keeping the amount you actually eat limited to a few spoonfuls. It's all about moderation and this pudding lets you have some while staying focused on your health goals too.

Well, that's what I like to tell myself at least.

This is a stay with it until it is done recipe, so make sure the kids are settled and you have time to yourself to get this cooked before there are distracting interruptions. The boost in flavor from the vanilla and espresso powder is optional but it really makes a difference so if you can, keep them in. If you don't have them on hand, make the pudding without and you will still enjoy a great treat.

Chocolate Pudding

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

Ingredients

4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
3 egg yolks
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 tsp espresso powder
1/4 tsp vanilla

Instructions

In a medium sized pan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add in the milk, pouring slowly and whisking the entire time. Now toss in the egg yolks and do one final bit of mixing, making sure your base is completely lump free.
Once everything is thoroughly combined move the pot to the stove over a medium flame. Keep whisking while things are heating up until the pudding thickens. Once it is thick with bubbles that are heavy and large, not tiny ones, turn the heat off. Add all of the chocolate, vanilla and espresso. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the pudding color is solid without any streaks.
Pour the hot pudding into a heat-proof storage container and cover the top of it with cling wrap. Put the cling wrap right onto the top of the pudding so that a skin doesn't form while it is cooling. Refrigerate the pudding until it is cold.
To serve, whisk the pudding again to get it very smooth and then eat!

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 00:10
Cook time: 00:20

Nutrition

Calories: 187

Total carbs: 27

Balsamic Vinaigrette: Girls Night In

2012-02-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

Balsamic vinaigrette, thick and tangy with a hint of sweetness and loads of umami

Last night Peter decided to take our youngest son camping which left myself and our youngest daughter to enjoy a girls night in. I will confess that far too much of that girl time was spent with me on the phone talking with family and dealing with issues surrounding my Dad's estate and my grandmother's failing health. I am slowly learning that dealing with death and dying and all the tasks that fall to the living surrounding those events is a life lesson that I will be a student of for a long time to come. Which means my kids will be too, and like all of the other challenges life has tossed our way we face them as a family.

Balsamic vinaigrette with tiny tomatoes

So. We didn't try to make a healthy or well balanced or any other kind of model of good eating dinner for us girls. We went for comfort food and for Bel that is all about raw vegetables, namely tomatoes, and dressing. I had a lot of other foods on hand but that is what she wanted. She also wanted to know if I had shared this recipe yet, and when I said that I hadn't, she said I had to because it is "Soooooo good, Mom. You should!".

Balsamic vinaigrette roasted grape tomatoes

I love tomatoes too but winter hot house ones just do not have the zip and flavor that get me excited like real summer tomatoes do. When you have a child that pretty much only eats raw vegetables you keep them on hand year round anyways. For my comfort food tomatoes, I chose to roast them in a hot oven after giving them a quick covering with the same dressing. I put a cup of whole grape tomatoes into a bowl, added 1 teaspoon of balsamic dressing and tossed. I poured the tomatoes into a pie pan and roasted them for about 8 minutes in a 450 (F) oven. They were sweet and the tomato flavor was concentrated which definitely covered up the lack of summer bite.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

Use your best vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. This makes about 1 3/4 cups of dressing so be sure to use a container that is 2 cups or more, allowing you enough shaking room.

Ingredients

2 Tbs honey
1 Tbs dijon-style mustard (or any mustard, I often just use stone ground mustard)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbs dried basil
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced or minced (mince it for a stronger garlic flavor)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

In your pint jar with a tight fitting lid, put in the honey, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic clove, dried basil and vinegar. Tighten on your lid well and shake shake shake for about 1 minute. You may need to stir the bottom of the jar after a minute to loosen any salt or honey that is being stubborn. Shake some more if this happens.
Add 1/3 of the olive oil and shake again for a minute. Add another 1/3 of the olive oil, shake again. Add the last 1/3 of olive oil and really shake things now. It may take 1-2 minutes of shaking to get the desired thickness for your dressing.
You can eat this immediately but the flavors improve a lot after 24 hours. Store in your refrigerator for up to a year.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups, 28 servings

Prep Time: 00:12
Cook time: 00:00

Nutrition

Calories: 61

Total carbs: 2

Cook-In-Training: Soft Pretzels!

2012-02-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

Fresh pretzel dotted with salt and smothered in butter

Another Cook-In-Training post. See how these got started here.
The kids are off from school all this week so expect a couple of posts about fun in the kitchen with them. Our first project together was to make our very own chewy baked pretzels. Wow! It was a complete hit. We all had a great time, there were plenty of hands-on tasks for the 7 and 10 year old to be involved in, and the end results were eaten up while the pretzels were still warm.

Before I go too far though I have to say a huge thank you to my oldest son. He spent a lot of time with me this weekend trying to teach me how to create photos of food that do not make him cringe. If you like the photos in this post it is all due to him - he is loaning me his good camera and trying to teach me how to use it. Hopefully he is proud of my work shown here. ~ your humble grasshopper

This has been submitted to YeastSpotting.

~~Cookbook~~ Cooking Blog: King Arthur Flour Blog
Recipe: Hot Buttered Soft Pretzels: Twisted Bliss

Adults Rating

Kids Rating

Pretzel workstations with lightly oiled cling wrap

My tips and tricks:

Since I wanted to have work space for helpers, I used our dining table and cling wrap that was lightly oiled for each station.
There is no need to find a bag to put the rising dough in - just cover the bowl with cling wrap and call it good.
On the soaking in baking soda water step, have a paper towel ready to drop them on first when you remove them. They were too wet going straight from water bath to baking sheet.
It is worth the extra effort to find an over sized salt to use so that it does not melt and is visible on the baked pretzels. I used a white flake sea salt I had in the house.

Finished sheet of pretzels, just the one sheet though ...

Changes I will make next time:

Just one to the recipe - ignore the call for instant yeast. I used my regular yeast and things turned out perfectly.
I will roll out our ropes quite a bit longer so that once the pretzel is folded up and baked, it maintains some pretzel holes. Note that the lack of holes did not detract from the end result one bit.
Make a double batch! Although this is a lot of fun, it is also a fairly high amount of work. You will want enough for everyone to have seconds, and maybe thirds ...

Buttered Soft Pretzels

Print Recipe

By King Arthur Baking Blog, modified slightly by Michelle K.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
3 Tbs butter, melted
For baking soda water bath
2 Tbs baking soda
1 cup boiling water

Instructions

Combine the flour, salt, sugar, yeast and water in a bowl. Mix or knead by hand for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. It will be a little sticky, that is fine.
Move your dough to a bowl big enough to let it double in size. Do this by dusting the entire outer surface of the dough with a bit of flour before you get it into your bowl, then cover with cling wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough is resting add the 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the cup of boiling water, stirring well until the soda is completely dissolved. Set this aside to cool. You want this to cool down to room temperature, at least, by the time you are ready to use it.
When the 30 minutes are up, prepare your oven and baking sheet. Set your oven to 475 (F) and cover your baking sheet with a piece of parchment or grease it lightly.
Get out your scale and divide your dough into 8 equal pieces, about 2 1/2 ounces each. Shape each piece into a rough log form about 4 inches long. Let the dough rest for another 5 minutes.
While the dough is resting pour the cooled water and baking soda mixture into a 9 inch square pan. Have a spoon or brush handy, a timer, and a sheet of paper towel.
Roll each piece of dough into a long thin rope about 28 inches long, and twist each rope into a pretzel. Once all 8 are shaped, put 4 at a time into the baking soda bath 'good side' down. Spoon or brush the water over the side facing up. Let this sit for 2 minutes.
Transfer the pretzels to the waiting baking sheet after a short stop on the paper towel to remove excess water. Sprinkle with your salt and allow them to rest one last time for 10 minutes. Get your melted butter and a brush ready.
Bake the pretzels for 8-9 minutes until they are a deep golden brown. Once they are out of the oven brush them with the melted butter, using all of it up.
Eat warm and enjoy!

Yield: 8 large pretzels

Prep Time: 00:30
Cook time: 00:09

Nutrition

Calories: 186

Total carbs: 31

Salmon Cakes Asian Style: Leftovers Made New

2012-02-19T09:17:00.000-08:00

Salmon cake Asian style with greens and spicy pickled carrots

Using up leftovers in a new meal for me is the ultimate thrifty Mom test. You have to find a way to use the same major ingredient later in the week in an all new presentation that will be delicious and appealing all over again, without being a repeat. This recipe for an Asian style salmon cake works great when built with leftover salmon, canned salmon, or salmon from a tin and fits perfectly as a leftover go-to recipe.

I use this recipe not only for leftovers but as a way to eat salmon in the winter when our primary source for this fish is canned salmon that I put up over the summer. This allows us to eat seasonally but still keep one of our favorites in our diet year round. What are some of your favorite leftover remake recipes?

Salmon Cakes Asian Style

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

12 ounces is how much salmon I get from one of my pint jars of home canned salmon. The source of your salmon can vary and may be from leftover salmon from another meal, or canned salmon tins. Adjust your breadcrumbs accordingly to account for wetter or drier salmon, depending on your source.

Ingredients

12 ounces cooked salmon, drained of any liquid
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 Tbs ginger, freshly grated
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs , lightly beaten

Instructions

Pre-heat your skillet over a medium-low flame.
Combine the salmon, eggs, scallions, celery, vinegar, lemon juice, ginger, salt and pepper well.
Add in the breadcrumbs. You may need to add a little more or less to be able to form a wet patty that holds it shape, but I have found 1/2 cup usually works for me. Mix everything well and then form into 9 patties.
Add a small amount of oil to the warm skillet and cook your patties for 4-5 minutes on each side. Do this gently and take your time. You want the ingredients to cook together without the patty getting too dark.
Serve immediately with a wedge of lemon.

Yield: 9 cakes

Prep Time: 00:10
Cook time: 00:10

Nutrition

Calories: 88

Total carbs: 7

Sweet Potato Risotto: Kid Friendly Grown-up Food

2012-02-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

Sweet potato risotto with Parmesan garnish

Dressing up kid friendly dinners in a way that us grown-ups also feel like we are getting something special can be a challenge. Risotto is one of those dishes that lets me create food that my kids will still eat but it has a lot more layer of flavors and interest which ups the adult appeal. Sweet potato risotto has a nutty, earthy, warm set of profiles that work as a main dish on it's own or a great side dish. You can easily replace the chicken stock in the recipe with vegetable stock, or even water, to create a vegetarian risotto.

Sweet Potato Risotto

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

Ingredients

3 cups chicken stock
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup rice, (Arborio or other high starch variety)
1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Instructions

Put your chicken stock in a microwave safe measuring cup and heat it for a few minutes until quite hot and then set it aside.
In a medium sized pot add your butter and olive oil over medium flame. Once the butter is melted, add in the onions and sauté for a few minutes, just until translucent. Toss in the garlic and rice, stirring well. Let this cook for a couple of minutes.
Add in the wine and stir, letting it completely evaporate and be absorbed by the rice. Now put in the sweet potatoes.
One cup at a time, pour in the hot stock. Stir your risotto often to help create its creamy texture and only add more stock once the previous cup has been absorbed.
After two cups are absorbed, give your risotto a taste. It will not be fully done yet and the rice will still have too much bite to it, but you can easily taste the flavors now. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Add in the last cup of stock. Check your risotto one last time and if needed, add a touch of water until the rice is as soft as you want it.
Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 00:10
Cook time: 00:25

Nutrition

Calories: 249

Totalcarbs: 34

Yogurt: Version 2.0

2012-02-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

Fresh yogurt topped with sliced bananas and a drizzle of honey

I have written before on how to make your own yogurt here. This method works without fail for me, every time. Which is great! Sort of.

Having to pour thick, set yogurt out of a thermos into quart jars to store it breaks up all that smooth lovely yogurt into something a bit lumpy. I also have to figure out how to clean out the thermos every time because I am a clean fanatic. I worry about lingering growing things between batches since I have to wash the thermos by hand with a bottle brush and can't rely on the super hot sanitize cycle of my dishwasher to clean out the narrow tall insides of it. This all lead me to try and come up with a different method of doing yogurt that met three goals:

I want to pour my cultured milk straight into my quart jar without having to move the set yogurt to it later.
I want my yogurt making to still be mostly maintenance free during the setting up phase.
I don't want to have to buy any new equipment or items just for yogurt making.

After trying several methods I have found a second one that works for me at last - the crock pot. Using the crock pot to maintain a water bath at the 110 (F) temperature for the 2-4 hours I need while the yogurt sets is the perfect solution for me.

Fill crock pot insert with the right amount of warm water

First, I fill my quart jar with water and set it into my crock pot insert. I then fill the crock pot with warm water that is close to 110 (F) during the last bit of time my milk is cooling. I am able to get tap water this temperature, so I just use that. This lets me fill the crock pot insert with the right amount of water I will need once I am ready to put the jar of yogurt in it safely without overflow spills or being too low and changing the temperature of the water by adding more.

Milk culture in its toasty water bath

Next, I remove the water filled jar and turn on my crock pot to Low for 5 minutes, then turn it back off. This is just long enough for the heating element in my crock pot to get hot but it doesn't really change the temperature of the water. As soon as my milk culture is ready to go I put the jar of it into the warm water. I cover everything with a bit of tin foil and then several kitchen towels to help hold in the heat. I set my timer for 60 minutes and once an hour I turn the crock pot on to Low for 5 minutes then off again. This is just long enough to keep the water near the 110 (F) I need. I start checking the yogurt to see if it is set after 2 hours and I have never had to go more than 4 hours for stuff to be done.

Yogurt setting up

I hope this method helps you out! If you have never tried making your own yogurt perhaps this simple technique will make it easier for you to try for yourself.

Yogurt: Version 2.0

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

Yogurt can be made with skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk. I prefer whole milk for yogurt and drink lowfat milk.

Ingredients

4 cups milk
2 Tbs yogurt, be sure this is living active culture yogurt

Instructions

In a medium sized pot add the 4 cups of milk and start warming it over a medium flame. Attach your thermometer. If you are using an alarm model, set it to 181 (F). As soon as the milk reaches 181 (F) move the pot to a cold burner and let it cool down on it's own to 110 (F).
While the milk is cooling measure out the 2 tablespoons of live culture yogurt into a one cup measuring cup and set aside. Prep your crock pot by filling a quart jar with water and putting it into the crock pot. Fill around the quart jar with 110 (F) water until it is full. Remove the quart jar, turn your crock pot to Low for five minutes, then turn it off again, maintaining the 110 (F) water temperature using this method while the milk cools.
Right when your cooling milk reaches 110 (F) remove any skin that may have formed and then add about a cup of the warm milk to the waiting yogurt. Whisk very thoroughly, then pour this back into your pot of milk. Whisk a second time making sure that your culture is well incorporated into the milk.
Pour your milk mixture into a waiting quart jar and cap it. Put the capped quart jar into the crock pot water bath. Cover with tin foil and a few kitchen towels.
Turn on the crock pot once an hour to Low for five minutes, then back off again. Maintain the water temperature near 110 (F) throughout the setting process, which can take 2 - 4 hours. Begin checking the yogurt to see if it is set after 2 hours - mine normally takes 3 hours to be thick, well set, but still mild in flavor. If you prefer a tangier version of yogurt you can let it set for up to 8 hours safely.
Move the quart jar of yogurt to the refrigerator and enjoy! Be sure you save the last 2 tablespoons for your next batch.

Yield: 4 servings, 1 quart

Prep Time: 00:15
Cook time: 03:00

Nutrition

Calories: 127

Total carbs: 12

Pressure Cooked Breakfast Sandwich: Start Your Day Right

2012-02-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

McMusing breakfast sandwich - egg, cheddar and prosciutto on
kid sized toasted light rye

Even though these delicious egg sandwiches can be eaten any time of the day, my focus was on creating one that would be so much tastier than the ones you can get from the drive-through window that you would never be tempted to go back. This was really easy to do using a pressure cooker to make ramekins or other small heat proof dishes of customized sandwich fillings. Think of these as being as flexible as any pizza you may love - vegetarian, meat lovers, cheese lovers, with fresh herbs, in season greens -- you get the idea. You can also make these with scrambled eggs or an egg substitute, or just egg whites.

These are also a great way to use up some of those leftovers you may have in the fridge. Do you have a small amount of shore potatoes you need to eat up? Toss them into the ramekin with an egg, a sprinkle of basil, a sprinkle of feta, and you are set! How about some roasted vegetables? Dice up a couple of tablespoons, add to your ramekin, pour some scrambled eggs over them, hit with some shredded smoked gouda, and your kids will be having vegetables for breakfast and loving it.

All of these great fillings can be stuffed into a pita, served between mini wheat bagels, toasted English muffins, fluffy biscuits, scones, or even slices of toasted kid sized rye bread pieces. Can you tell how flexible and fun these are? I hope so. Get the kids involved in filling their very own ramekin from a variety of toppings for a great weekend family breakfast.

Pressure cooker with steamer trivet, steamer basket, and ramekins fitting test

The first thing I recommend is to get all of your tools together and do a dry run on how many ramekins you can comfortably work with at one time. I am not overly clever in stacking things inside my pressure cooker, so I keep it simple and only do one layer but I have heard you can do more than one. Let me know if you do multiple layers, it would be great to hear how that works out for you.

Olive oil, pruscuito, egg, pepper, and a sprinkle of frozen shredded cheddar

Lightly grease your ramekin with a very small amount of oil, butter or coconut oil. Don't skip this step or it can become impossible to get your creation out once it is done. I just put a couple of drops of olive oil into the ramekin and then spread it around the bottom and the sides using my finger. Then start layering in your ingredients. Cover your dish with a bit of tin foil and stack in your steamer basket. Add the water to your pressure cooker, the trivet, then your basket and move things to the stove. Keep in mind you can prepare your ramekins the night before and keep them refrigerated. Bring them out the next morning and cook them up, and you will have a delicious breakfast in minutes.

Pressure Cooked Breakfast Sandwich

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

The variations on this sandwich are only limited by your imagination. The nutritional information will vary a great deal depending on the ingredients you choose to use.

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/16 tsp olive oil
1 thin slice prosciutto
1 egg
1 Tbs cheddar cheese grated
2 slices rye bread

Instructions

Measure out the cup of water and add it to your pressure cooker. Put in a trivet or other steamer tray.
Put a couple of drops of olive oil, butter, or coconut oil into the bottom of your ramekin. Evenly coat the inside of the ramekin completely.
Place the slice of prosciutto into the bottom of the oiled ramekin. Add the egg (whole, scrambled, just the egg white, or the equivalent of a one egg of egg substitute). Add some fresh cracked pepper. Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese.
Cover the ramekin with a piece of tin foil. Put the ramekin into your steamer basket. Set the basket into your pressure cooker pot right on top of the trivet.
Close up your pressure cooker and move it to your stovetop. Set your flame to high.
Once your cooker reaches the low pressure point, start timing for 6 minutes.
Move your pressure cooker to a cold burner on the stove and let it naturally decrease in pressure. This should take no more than five minutes.
During this time toast up your slices of rye bread. Carefully open the lid on your pressure cooker, lift out the steamer basket, and then remove your ramekin. Use a butter knife and run it around the edge of your egg creation then tip it out onto the waiting slice of rye.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Yield: 1 sandwich

Prep Time: 00:05
Cook time: 00:05

Nutrition

Calories: 321

Total carbs: 31

For another example of doing eggs like this, please see Pressure Cooker Recipe and Technique post found here.

Cook-In-Training: Pressure Cooked Eggs

2012-02-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

Pressure cooked egg, peeled in 30 seconds

Another Cook-In-Training post. See how these got started here.

This project covers two issues for my household - easy peel boiled eggs (a phrase that seems to be a contradiction in terms) and a breakfast sandwich that is quick, flavorful, and will keep me from those oh-so-bad-for-me drive through breakfast sandwiches that I confess I love. What got me started on all of this? This amazing post by Laura over at her blog Hip Pressure Cooking. Tomorrow I will post on how to use this method to make your very own McMusing Breakfast Sandwich.

Finding a truly easy peel hard boiled egg has been a quest of Peter's and mine for a while now. We are always bringing along hard boiled eggs to all of our camping and hiking road trips. The only thing we hate about them is trying to peel them. You know it's bad when suddenly you refuse to get out of your warm sleeping bag, even though your bladder is about to burst. Why? Because you know if you get up first, you will have to peel the eggs. NOOOOOooooo. Well now I can be the first one up every time without fear! This method works flawlessly, making easy to peel fully cooked in the shell eggs, in a very short amount of time.

~~Cookbook~~ Cooking Blog: Hip Pressure Cooking
Recipe: Pressure Cooker Recipe & Technique: Soft, Medium, and Hard "Boiled" Eggs

Adults Rating

Kids Rating

My tips and tricks:

I found that I needed about 1 minute longer than the times Laura posted. I am sure this is a matter of when I start timing things based on my pressure cooker and how I use it. Do one test egg first to get the level of done-ness you are looking for and the time it takes to make it happen.
Put all of your cooked eggs into an ice water bath all at once, no need to hold them one by one under a stream of water to cool them.
If you do more than one batch, be sure to dump out any remaining water from your previous batch and add a freshly measured cup of water when you start again.

Cooked eggs in ice water

Changes I will make next time:

None, this worked perfectly once I tested for the right time for my pressure cooker. I was amazed and really really pleased.

Pressure Cooked Eggs

Print Recipe
By Laura from Hip Pressure Cooking

Ingredients

6 fresh cold eggs
1 cup water

Instructions

Measure out the cup of water and add it to your pressure cooker. Put in a trivet or other steamer tray.
Place all of your cold refrigerated eggs into a steamer basket. Set the basket into your pressure cooker pot right on top of the trivet.
Close up your pressure cooker and move it to your stovetop. Set your flame to high.
Once your cooker reaches the low pressure point, start timing. For soft boiled, 3 minutes; for medium boiled, 5 minutes; for hard boiled, 6 minutes.
For soft and medium boiled eggs, follow your pressure cooker instructions on how to do the fast release method. For hard boiled eggs, move your cooker to a cold burner on the stove and let it naturally decrease in pressure. This should take no more than five minutes.
Carefully open the pressure cooker lid and immediately move your eggs to a waiting ice water bath. Let the eggs sit in there anywhere from 1 - 3 minutes, depending on how cool you want things.
Crack both ends of the egg on a hard surface, then turn it sideways and gently roll the egg once. Give the shell a tug and voila, your egg will be peeled that fast.

Yield: 6 eggs, 6 servings

Prep Time: 00:03
Cook time: 00:05

Nutrition

Calories: 71

Total carbs: 0

Lemon Pot Cheese Pancakes: Tiny Food For Tiny People

2012-02-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

Lemon pot cheese pancakes

My youngest son C has had a long week. His appetite is gone and his desire to do much of anything is flat and pretty sedentary, rare for him. He even skipped karate which is a sure sign things are out of sorts. I have found when C is under the weather it really helps to serve small portions and small sized food. Letting him eat what all of us are having but scaled down a lot makes the whole eating chore more appealing to him and even a little fun. He is a very skinny kid with nothing to spare, so any way that I can get good nutrition in him I will take.

These pancakes are a perfect solution for me. I can make them tiny sized for my tiny person and they are fantastic plain - a key thing when C's appetite is low. We had these for lunch, just because, and he wolfed down 3. I call that a victory!

Pancakes with just a few bubbles formed and ready to flip

Cooking pancakes in a non-stick pan makes the job a lot easier. I also have a cast iron large griddle that spans 2 of the burners on my stove that works great too when I am cooking for a crowd. The 3 tricks to good pancakes each time are:

Keep your heat medium-low but make sure your pan is fully heated before starting.
Oil your pan lightly using a paper towel so you don't end up with butter/coconut oil/vegetable oil puddles.
Flip the cakes just as bubbles begin to form.

All these steps keep me from having to throw out the first batch of pancakes I make, and keeps me from cooking dry or overly dark pancakes.

Golden brown goodness

Lemon Pot Cheese Pancakes

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

If you don't have your own homemade pot cheese, ricotta or cottage cheese works just as well.

Ingredients

3 Tbs butter melted and cooled
3 eggs, separated
1 cup pot cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
1 juice and zest from lemon
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Melt your butter and then set it aside, letting it cool. Separate the eggs carefully, putting the yolks into a large bowl and the whites into a second bowl. Whip the egg whites until stiff and set aside.
Add the pot cheese (you can use ricotta or cottage cheese too), milk, butter, nutmeg, lemon juice and zest from one lemon, and sugar to the egg yolks. Whisk together well.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to your cheese mixture and whisk until combined. Depending on how wet or dry you chose to make your pot cheese, you may need a splash more milk.
Scoop out 1/3 of the stiff egg whites and whisk them into your pancake batter well. This will lighten the batter just a bit and make folding in the rest of the egg whites easier.
Gently but thoroughly fold in the last 2/3's of the egg whites.
Let your batter rest for 10 minutes. While it is resting, heat your non-stick pan over medium-low flame.
Once your batter is rested and your skillet is hot, use a paper towel and lightly oil your pan. Pour in your pancake batter and then turn the cakes when small bubbles begin to form. Once the pancakes are flipped, they only take another minute or so to cook depending on their size.
Serve hot - plain, with a pat of butter, warm maple syrup, or raspberry sauce. A dollop of fresh whip cream and sliced berries is really great too.

Yield: 24 small pancakes

Prep Time: 00:20
Cook time: 00:08

Nutrition

Calories: 86

Total carbs: 11

Sweet Potato Gratin: Finally, a Vegetable Made it to the Dinner Table

2012-02-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Sweet potato gratin

Starting today, the voice I will be using to write here will become a lot more personal. Not that I have been someone else in the previous 30+ posts, but I have been trying to record recipes in a neutral light that is a resource for myself and my family. Someone who in my mind when I read back, is vaguely Mrs. Cleaver like. She is someone I definitely connect with in a very narrow slice of myself, but I am leaving behind the impulsive, chaotic, experimental, temperamental, creative person that I am and the whirl of life going on around me out of it. I am finding that approach to all of this more and more restrictive and I am losing the deeply personal release of sharing that I benefit from when I can write from my heart.

I miss my Dad very much. Life seems to be going by at 2 completely different speeds, everyone else like busy bees and me slogging along. I look at the date on the calendar today and count the days since he died and think in my mind it has been a LOT of days now, even weeks (25 days, 3 weeks+). That I should be very present in my everyday life, instead of feeling hazy and struggling with putting a balanced and full dinner on the table every night. For the rest of my family it has been a lot of days now, and I can feel everyone being supportive and patient, understanding, and waiting. Waiting for me to just be me again.

I also feel guilty. A big part of what I do to care for and love my family is creating thoughtful and balanced meals several times a day. To be able to say this is all homemade, nutritious, and takes into consideration everyone's personal tastes, likes and dislikes.

Sweet potato gratin in the pie pan,
single layer

What does all this have to do with sweet potato gratin? It was a simple, delicious and easy vegetable dish that added to our meal and made me feel good. It is one of the first side dishes I have done lately that made the dinner I served it with a truly full multi-course meal. The natural sweetness of the sweet potato was complimented by the nutty tang of Parmesan perfectly without the dish being heavy or overpowering.

Sweet Potato Gratin

Print Recipe

By Michelle K.

I only use the deep orange fleshed variety of sweet potatoes. They often have the word ruby or garnet or red in their name. The size of these varies a LOT, sometimes one huge potato will serve the entire family so just keep in mind a shallow (not deep dish) pie pan when you are buying what you need.

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
2 Tbs butter melted
2 Tbs Parmesan cheese freshly grated
salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 425 (F). Peel and slice your potatoes. Arrange in a shallow pie pan or any small baking dish. You want an arrangement that is one layer thick only.
Brush the potatoes with the melted butter or a good quality olive oil, making sure they are all lightly coated. I find the silicon brushes work best for this because they don't soak up most of your butter in the bristles, they just help transfer it evenly over the potato slices.
Sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper, then the grated cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife tip inserts easily and the color is lightly browned.
Serve immediately, fresh from the oven.

Yield: serves 6

Prep Time: 00:10
Cook time: 00:20

Nutrition

Calories: 78

Total carbs: 9

Light Rye Bread: Kid Sized

2012-02-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

Light rye bread topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and spicy carrots

I have had a bag of light rye flour Peter got me in my refrigerator for a few weeks now. Ultimately we want to make our own from scratch pastrami, a project I will be sharing as we tackle it. The first step for me is to make a really good rye bread to house our pastrami for us and light rye seemed a great place to start. I made tiny loaves that are kid friendly since they all love fresh bread and my youngest ones really enjoy making their own 'kid sized' sandwiches and snacks.

Light rye loaves rising final time

I like how this bread turned out with a very mild rye flavor. If you want to test out rye bread to see if your family will also enjoy it this is a great starting point. This bread has a good crust and chewy interior that holds up as a crostini style bread to pile on whatever toppings you love. The recipe makes 3 long french bread style loaves that will fit onto one baking sheet and it bakes up with a lovely golden crust.

This has been submitted to YeastSpotting.

Light Rye Bread

Print Recipe
By Michelle K.

If you are having trouble finding rye flour, look in the refrigerator section of your grocery store. Rye flour has to be refrigerated when storing it, so keep that in mind when you are buying it.

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
1 Tbs yeast
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup yogurt
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups light rye flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups white bread flour

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add the yeast, sugar and warm water. Let this proof for about 10 minutes, until it gets foamy, kind of like sea foam.
Add the rest of the ingredients, starting out with just 1 1/2 cups of the bread flour. Mix thoroughly and check your dough - it should be soft and pliable, but not sticky. Continue adding bread flour until you reach the desired texture, 1/4 cup at a time.
Knead your dough using a stand mixer and the dough hook for 8 minutes, or by hand for 10-12 minutes.
While the dough is kneading, lightly oil a bowl large enough to hold the dough once it doubles in size. If you did the kneading of your dough using a stand mixer, remove it and give it 2 - 3 hand kneads until it feels smooth. Form it into a ball and lightly cover it in the oil from your rising bowl by turning it in the bowl a couple of times. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about one hour. The time will vary depending on the temperature of the house, any breezes, etc., so check on the dough starting at about 45 minutes.
Cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Once the dough is doubled in size, divide it into thirds. Roll each ball into a long snake shape, about 2" in diameter. Place each length of dough side by side on the baking sheet, leaving enough space for the loaves to double in width.
Cover the loaves and let them rise until doubled in size again, about 20-30 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 375 (F) while this final rise is taking place.
Bake the loaves for 25 - 30 minutes, depending on your oven. Slide the loaves off of the baking sheet immediately to a wire rack. Let them cool to room temperature before storing.

Yield: 3 loaves

Prep Time: 00:20
Cook time: 00:25

Nutrition

Calories: 34

Totalcarbs: 5

Sweet 'n Spicy Carrot Pickles

2012-02-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

Sweet 'n spicy carrot pickles

We usually get 2 pounds of organic carrots a week as part of our weekly delivery. I find going through these is quite easy since I cook a lot with carrots as part of my starter base for many dishes. I also have one child that really only likes raw vegetables, so carrots are a staple in her diet and appear on the dinner table several times a week. This all works out great, until you get hit by one of the biggest storms in decades and lose power for 4 days, I take an unexpected week long trip out of state, and a general shift in the chief cook moves from Mom to ..... Dad.

Don't get me wrong. Peter is a fantastic Dad and a really good cook. But. He has also been solo-parenting a great deal these past few weeks while I have been dealing with out of state family matters. He is just happy to get -any- homemade dinner on the table at this point. So when I finally re-enter MY kitchen and take a quick inventory, I find I have 6 pounds of carrots on hand. Time for some pickles!

Dealing with excess produce is one of the many reasons I love doing small batch canning. I can use a smaller canning pot, do only a single batch, it takes perhaps an hour of my time, and in the end I have found a way to put to good use that stuff that would have normally ended up in the compost. Plus these carrot pickles are spicy and slightly sweet and really really good!

Sweet 'N Spicy Carrot Pickles

Print Recipe
By Michelle K.

Add your pickled carrots to hum-drum packed lunches, sandwiches (bánh mì), salads, as a garnish for soups or curries and a side dish for any brunch or dinner. These are a combination of slightly sweet and very spicy flavor. A mandolin is invaluable in prepping the carrots. My mandolin has 2 size settings available, I use the smaller one to get carrot strings instead of wedges.

Ingredients

2 lbs carrots, julienned
1 1/2 cups white distilled vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
3 star anise
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp red chili flakes
2 Tbs ground ginger (freshly grated!)

Instructions

Prepare your pint jars (I prefer wide mouth for making pickles, they pack more easily), lids, rings and canner. If you do not know how to do these things, always use a reliable and official source to guide you through this process. The National Center for Home Food Preservation and the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving are good places to start.
In a non-reactive pot, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, star anise, fresh ground ginger and chili flakes. Bring to a boil and stir once in a while to completely dissolve the sugar.
Add the carrots to the hot pickling liquid and stir gently. Bring the pot back up to a boil, about 2 - 3 minutes tops. Since the carrots are so thin this does not take long at all.
Carefully fish out the 3 star anise and add one to the bottom of each hot jar.
Using a slotted spoon and a wide mouth funnel, fill your hot jar with the carrots, leaving 1/2" headspace. Pack them in pretty firmly using the handle of a wooden spoon to help. Don't worry too much about the carrot strings breaking - although they still have some crunch to them, they are now far more pliable and tend to bend enough to fit into jars easily.
Ladle hot pickling liquid over the carrots, covering them completely. Remove any bubbles in the jar (I find a chopstick works best for this) and adjust the headspace as needed to maintain your 1/2".
Clean the rim of the jar very thoroughly, apply your hot lid, and then the ring. You want to tighten your ring just until it is "finger tip tight", not too tight, but not loose either.
Process your jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes (10 minutes is measured after the water returns to a full boil). Adjust your processing time as necessary depending on your elevation. Again, consult a very reliable source for instructions on how to do this.
Remove your jars from the water bath to a cloth covered counter. Let them cool completely for 12-24 hours before testing the seals. Remove the outer ring and pick up the jar carefully by the lid to make sure the seal is a good one. If you do have a jar that did not seal, just put it in the refrigerator and eat the carrots, they will keep for a couple of months.
Store your jars in a cool dark place.

Yield: 3 pint jars

Prep Time: 00:20
Cook time: 00:40

Nutrition

based on one tablespoon serving
Calories: 11

Total carbs: 3

Overnight Chili: "Set it and forget it!" - Ron Popeil

2012-02-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

Overnight chili

I really do love cooking with my crock pot but for some dishes I feel it is too hot and believe it or not, cooks things too fast. Since I spend a lot of time working with inexpensive cuts of meat I really appreciate that low and slow can turn something that is just "OK" into something truly delectable. (I know, I said it. I promised myself I wouldn't use the blog name in a post, but I couldn't help myself!) Slow overnight cooking allows you to prepare your dish in advance and adjust it as needed well before it is time to eat. It also gives a level of flavor blending and depth to the dish that I don't feel you can achieve with any other cooking method.

This overnight chili recipe has only a few ingredients so be sure you make the ones you use count. Good quality tomatoes, well trimmed stew meat, and dried smokey flavorful peppers are a must. I am able to find the dried peppers I use at my general grocery store, in the Ethnic foods section. You can substitute fresh chilies if you prefer although I think you lose a key underlying smokiness when you do that, or even a pre-made "chili powder" if you want. A teaspoon of smoked sweet paprika can help balance out the flavor if you do use fresh chilies or a dried spice.

Overnight Chili

Print Recipe
By Michelle K.

This is a make ahead recipe, requiring the use of the oven over night to get the flavors blended together and the meat very very tender. The kind of dried chili you use is what will determine the heat of your final chili. If you prefer a milder chili, stick with dried pablanos. For a spicier chili, use a mixture of pablano, jalapeño, and even habanero, depending on your taste.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs stew beef chunks
2 Tbs oil
1 onion peeled and chopped
1 green pepper cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup celery chopped
3 dried chili peppers, chopped, seeds and all
1 Tbs ground cumin
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups canned tomatoes, crushed
3 1/2 cups water
3 Tbs cornmeal
salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 200 (F).
In a large Dutch oven, heat your oil over a medium-high flame. After sprinkling the stew beef cubes with salt and pepper, carefully brown the meat making sure you do this in small batches and do not crowd the pan. Drain each batch on a paper towel lined plate.
Once all the meat is browned and set aside, add the onion, green pepper, and celery to the same pot, incorporating the oil and browned bits into the veggies. Turn the heat down to medium and stir often, letting the onions become translucent. Add the garlic, cumin and dried pepper, stirring until it is very fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, water and browned stew meat back to the pot, put the lid on it, and move it to the oven.
Cook overnight in the oven for 10 - 12 hours. At this low temperature it will cook very slowly, letting the flavors blend together and tenderize the meat.
Check the chili in the morning to see if it is the consistency you would like. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed. If the chili is a little thin, remove the lid and turn the oven up to 350 (F). Let it cook for another hour or more without the lid on it until you are happy.
Stir the cornmeal with a small amount of water until you have a thick slurry. Pour this into your hot chili pot and let it simmer together another 30 minutes. If you would like to add a can of beans this would be the time. Just add them when you add the cornmeal mixture and then simmer for 30 minutes or more.
The chili is ready to serve. You can move your pot to the stove top on a cold burner and just re-heat it when you are ready later the same day, or store in the refrigerator and re-heat when wanted. Top with your favorite goodies like fresh onion, sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, hot sauce, corn bread, over rice or with a side of chips.

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 00:35
Cook time: 12:00

Nutrition

Calories: 268

Total carbs: 10

Italian Peasant Soup

2012-02-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

Italian peasant soup

Although this soup is roughly based on the Italian traditional soup ribollita that Jamie Oliver published back in 2006, I could not comfortably name it that due to all of the major changes I have made to it. I have found that for my household to enjoy any kind of soup item, especially if it is for dinner, it has to be very hardy, very chunky, and full of flavor. Although I personally would love a more traditional ribollita I know I would be the only one eating the whole pot of it for a week or more.

Meatballs browning

This recipe makes a big batch of soup. It stores well and can be portioned out and frozen then re-heated without any adverse affects. I take a bit of extra time making the meatballs for it and this ensures that they remain intact throughout the cooking process and hold up as a hearty leftover. Make a pot on the weekend when you have a bit more time and you will have great soup for lunch or dinner later in the week!

Italian Peasant Soup

Print Recipe
By Michelle K.

Use a highly flavored sausage that you really enjoy. You can use mild or spicy for variety. I use the sausage from Shawn's Quality Meats & Smokehouse, his house made Farm Sausage blend.

Ingredients

1 lb Italian sausage
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tbs oil
1/2 large onion finely chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 cup celery finely chopped
3 cloves garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
4 cups kale, very thinly sliced (stems removed)
8 cups chicken stock
1 can (15 oz) white beans
salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl combine the bread crumbs and milk and let it sit for 15 minutes. While this is resting, prep your vegetables and remove the sausage from it's casings if you did not buy it in bulk.
Combine the bread and milk mixture with the egg, stirring well. Add in the sausage and combine thoroughly.
In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high flame. Drop the sausage mixture by teaspoonfuls into the pot and brown, turning a couple of times. Do not turn the tiny meatballs too soon - you want a good dark crisp color on them. It will fade away a lot once added to the soup later on. Do this in small batches, removing the finished meatballs to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
Once all of the meatballs are browned and removed, turn the flame down to medium and add the onion, carrot and celery to the same pot. Do not clean the pot between these 2 steps because you want all that great flavor from browning the sausage to infuse your final soup.
Sprinkle the vegetables with the salt and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and fennel and stir, just heating through until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Pour in your chicken stock and can of rinsed beans (I prefer cannellini) and bring the pot up to a very gentle boil. This will take about 15 - 20 minutes depending on the temperature of your stock.
Stir the kale into the boiling stock and let it begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add the meatballs back to the pot, stirring to combine everything. Let everything simmer together for 30 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve piping hot and enjoy.

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 00:35
Cook time: 00:40

Nutrition

Calories: 307

Total carbs: 20

Sun-dried Tomato and Cheese Cornbread

2012-02-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

Sun-dried tomato and cheese
cornbread

I am not really sure why, but for some reason Superbowl and chili go together in our house. Which is really funny because none of us are football fans. We strictly watch the game as a social event - a chance to see friends, hang out, watch the famous commercials, and eat snack foods that I most often don't allow.

Chili is something everyone really likes but we all tend to eat it as a topping or added ingredient to other things. We top rice with it, dip it with chips, crumble up cornbread in it ... you get the idea. Cornbread is one of my favorites to eat with chili so I thought I would share this quick, easy, no fail recipe. I make cornbread with white or yellow cornmeal, whatever I happen to have on hand and a variety of different cheeses. Today's pictured is made with white cornmeal and Manchego cheese. That is why it has a paler color and lighter golden brown crust, and you can't really see the gooey cheese chunks but they are in there!

Sun-dried Tomato and Cheese Cornbread

Print Recipe
By Michelle K.

I use yellow or white cornmeal, depending what I have on hand. Either works fine. The cheese you use can vary a lot - a sharp cheddar, feta, Gorgonzola, farm cheese, Fontina or Manchego cheese will all give you something tasty and different.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs baking powder
1/4 cup yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, softened and chopped
3 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 400 (F). Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan and set aside.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine your flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder.
In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, milk, honey, egg, and oil.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and combine just until mixed.
Gently stir in the tomato bites and cheese cubes. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
Cook for 22-24 minutes, or until the bread is pulling away from the sides of the pan and it is a golden color.
Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting. This will keep in an airtight container for several days, or you can freeze it as well.

Yield: 16 servings

Prep Time: 00:20
Cook time: 00:24

Nutrition

Calories: 143

Total carbs: 19

Meat and Potatoes

2012-01-24T21:27:00.000-08:00

Dad, prepping to dig clams with us ...
even though he hated clams.
November, 2011

I lost my father this past week, on January 17th. Just over a year ago, my husband lost his father. We have never fully found our feet again after losing one father and grandfather and now we are reeling from the lose of another. Although these were 2 very different men, they were both in their own ways an important anchor to our lives.

My father was a meat and potatoes man. His happiness was found in a really well prepared slow cooked pot roast and a side of potatoes, preferably peeled and mashed, but any form would do. If you really needed a token green thing on the plate, he would do an iceberg lettuce salad with mayonnaise as a dressing. He ate simply.

I am not ready yet to go back into my kitchen. Today I made bread for my family, the first home cooked item that takes more than 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish I have done since the 17th. I did find my usual joy in the feel of a really great bread dough and the side of rolls with dinner tonight were that touch of love brought to the meal by me. But. I can't seem to sustain that inner peace and creative energy to do more than just get by.

So. I think it will be a little while more before I get back into the swing of things. I do have a jar of fermenting salsa sitting on my cookbook shelf to tell you about, and some thoughts on Super Bowl entertainment ideas. Those will have to wait. Today I want to share a poem that was read at my father-in-law's memorial service, and will be read at my father's as well.

"If I should die and leave you here awhile,

Be not like others, soon undone, who keep

Long vigil by the silent dust and weep.

For my sake turn again to life and smile,

Nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do

Something to comfort weaker hearts than thine.

Complete these dear unfinished tasks of mine,

And I, perchance, may therein comfort you."

--Thomas Gray

Pot Cheese: Best Name Ever

2012-01-16T10:54:00.000-08:00

Pot Cheese

Just the name alone must mean this is some pretty neat stuff. Pot Cheese. Around my house we call it sweet cheese, not to be confused with all of the very popular stinky cheeses everyone here loves. I had to figure out what it is really called in order to record this as a recipe and to my surprise it has a name - pot cheese. I know this new name will stick because it is fun to say for my little kids and of course for my big kids it causes snickers. Perfect.

This is an amazingly good, uniquely flavored, and very versatile soft cheese. It has a crumbly texture like ricotta and how wet or dry the final cheese is is completely up to you. Peter loves this stuff so much he has been known to take a spoon and the Snapware of cheese and just eat it. All. He has also started doing some fermented projects that use the whey that is leftover from making this cheese, more about those later on. I use it as a fat substitute in many baking recipes (the secret ingredient that ensures your cake will always be moist and not crumbly), as a taco topping in place of cotija cheese, smoothies, oven baked stuff jalapenos or mini sweet peppers, any recipe that calls for ricotta, any recipe that calls for cream cheese ... the list goes on and on.

All ingredients, no heat

Start out with all of your ingredients over a medium-low flame (the full recipe is posted below). At first nothing seems to be going on.

All ingredients heated through

After about 15-20 minutes though you can see that the milk solids are starting to separate out. I think this is easiest to tell by carefully and gently giving the pot a bump and you will see that it is moving a bit more like a solid and small bubbles are forming around the edge. You want to keep the heat going a couple more minutes once you reach this stage in order to be sure everything has started to form up.

Curds and whey

Once everything is heated through turn the heat off and move the pot to a cold burner on your stove. Then just let it sit and rest and cool and do it's own thing for an hour. When you come back to it the milk mixture will be very clearly formed into curds and whey.

Hanging pot cheese

You can do the final separation however you like - using a sieve lined with cheese cloth, a sieve lined with a tea towel, or a damp inside out jelly bag like I do. I just hang mine from the cabinet handle until things are the consistency I like. Your drip time will vary depending on which method you use so just have fun, experiment, and find what you like the best.

Pot Cheese

Print Recipe
By Michelle K.

Ingredients

4 cups milk
1 cup cream
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbs lemon juice

Instructions

Add the ingredients to a 2 quart pot. Bring to a very gentle boil over a medium-low flame - about 15 - 20 minutes. Once the mixture begins to thicken and bubble, turn the temperature down to low and cook for a couple of minutes more to ensure you have gotten everything completely heated through.
Move the pot to a cold burner and let things rest for an hour. This is the final step in letting all of the curds form.
While things are sitting set-up your separation equipment. Line a sieve with damp cheese cloth or a damp tea towel and put over a deep bowl or pot. I prefer a jelly bag that is wet and then wrung out and hangs over a bowl.
Gently pour the entire contents of the pot into your cheesecloth/towel/jelly bag. I find it helps to ladle out most of the contents first and then just pour in the last bit - be careful, even though this has sat for an hour things can still be quite warm. Let this sit and drip until you have pot cheese the consistency that you want.
Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.

Yield: 2 1/2 cups, 40 servings

Prep Time: 00:05
Cook time: 00:20

Nutrition

Calories: 39

Total carbs: 2

Cook-In-Training: Pizza For A Week

2012-01-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

cheese, prosciutto, caramelized onions, red and orange sweet peppers,
browned mushrooms, pineapple

I have a good sized collection of cookbooks and I really enjoy reading and cooking from them. I usually try to follow a recipe 'as is' the first time I use it - sometimes they are a huge hit, sometimes a flop. Other times the effort invested for the return is just not worth it to me, or the final flavors are too exotic for my family's tastes. Despite all the ups and downs of using my family as guinea pigs for my testing efforts, I do love it. I always learn something new and gain inspiration for where I can go from here. This is the first post about my experiences of being an old cook learning new tricks.

Cookbook: Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day
Recipe: Master Pizza Dough (posted below)

Adults Rating

Kids Rating

Our Friday night creations

I picked this recipe for quite a few reasons - I wanted something that was quick to put together; a pizza dough recipe that is specifically for thin crust Margherita style pizzas, a dough that can be made ahead and then used later in the week, and a final pizza start-to-finish taking a bite time that rivals how long it would take to heat up a ready made frozen pizza. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I made our dough 3 days in advance of using it so that we could taste it with some flavor development taking place.

My tips and tricks:

Weigh your flour and water instead of trying to measure them with cups.
Be prepared for how large this batch is - you will need a 5 quart container that fits into your refrigerator.
Rolling out the dough is best done by placing 4 - 8 ounces of dough between 2 oiled pieces of parchment paper and then use a rolling pin (4 ounces for personal pizza size, 8 ounces for a large sized). The first roll out the dough will shrink again quite a bit so roll the dough once, let it rest a couple of minutes, then roll a second time before topping.
Put the sauce on very very lightly. I used a brush to coat mine and that worked great.
Use a very hot oven. Our best results were with an oven between 500-525 (F).
Cook the pizza right on the parchment paper you rolled it out on.
Prepare your toppings in advance if you are letting kids build their own, making sure they have time to cool down to room temperature.
Depending on your oven temperature, thickness of your toppings, and how wet the toppings you use are, cooking times can vary a great deal. This is a hands-on activity that involves the whole family but don't turn your back on a cooking pizza. Our cooking times were as short as 7 minutes and as long as nearly 20.

Changes I will make next time:

I will cut the recipe in half unless I am going to be hosting a large party. After feeding 3 adults and 2 children an individualized personal pizza and a group sized dessert pizza, I still have 3 lbs. of dough to use up. The kids are thrilled, means a pizza a day for the next couple of days!
Put herbs into the dough and see how that works out.
See how well very thinly sliced raw vegetables do.
Mix in some portion of semolina and other types of flour as well.
Try some breakfast pizzas and figure out how best to end up with an over easy egg in the middle using just the cooking pizza to do it. Fun!

Master Pizza Dough

Print Recipe
By Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day

Ingredients

25 ounces warm water
38 ounces all-purpose flour
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs kosher salt
1 Tbs yeast

Instructions

Put all of your ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using the dough hook on your stand mixer, mix until everything is combined. This can be done by hand as well. You will end up with a very sticky, wet dough. Don't worry that is exactly what you are looking for.
Leaving the dough in the bowl, cover it with a towel and let it rise for 2 hours.
Transfer the dough into a 5 quart container that has been lightly oiled and cover it with cling wrap that is placed right on the dough itself. Use a couple of pieces if you need to in order to cover all of the top. Refrigerate it for 3 hours minimum and up to 7 days.
Pre-heat your oven to 500-525 (F). Roll out 4 - 8 ounces of dough until quite thin, top, and bake. Baking time will vary. Begin checking on smaller pizzas after the first 5 minutes, larger pizzas after the first 15 minutes.

Yield: 4.5 - 5 lbs. of dough

Kale!

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Raw Kale Salad

I have been getting a lot of the curly kale since mid-summer and working hard to incorporate it into our diet at least once a week. I am very good at sneaking vegetables into whatever it is I am making so it does show up in my lasagnas, sauces, soups, stews and even omelets. As creative as I thought I was lunch at my sister Judy's opened my world of kale right up. She served it as a salad with the boldest creamy salad dressing on it and it was good. Peter said, "It's great, if you like eating tree bark." Wait. What?! Well, he did finish his salad and eat seconds. So that's something.

The greatest thing about raw kale is that even dressed it will keep for several days, staying crisp and delicious. This makes it the perfect take-along salad for work, picnics, potlucks, or as a holiday dish that can be made ahead. And it really does taste great! Don't let Peter put you off on giving it a try for yourself.

Raw Kale Salad

Print Recipe
By Michelle K.

Ingredients

8 cups kale, very thinly sliced (stems removed)
3 tbs red wine vinegar
3 tbs olive oil (the fancy extra virgin stuff)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup nuts (raw or roasted)
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Instructions

Strip the kale leaves from the stem and then cut into very thin strips - chiffonade. Put them into a large bowl.
Once your garlic clove is peeled and finely minced, sprinkle it with a tiny pinch of salt. Using the side of your knife smash the garlic into a paste, letting the salt be your abrasive.
In a small measuring cup, whisk together the vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
Chop up the nuts and dried cherries so that they are about raisin size or smaller.
Grate the cheese using your microplane grater. This will spread the cheese more evenly throughout the salad.
Add all the ingredients to your bowl and toss until very well combined. Taste, adding more salt, pepper and cheese as needed.
Serve as is or with a side of sliced tart apple, avocado, papaya, mango, strawberries, or even a handful of good croutons. As long as you keep the salad to this starting base, and only put add-ins to individual servings, any extra will keep well for days dressed without any wilting.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 00:15
Cook time: 00:00

Nutrition

Calories: 180

Total carbs: 16